Keighley intend to stand by their men - Sheffield (From Keighley News)

Keighley intend to stand by their men - Sheffield

4:20pm Thursday 10th May 2012 in Keighley By Bill Marshall, T&A Sports Reporter

Graeme Sheffield reckons the players who have earned Keighley promotion from SSE Yorkshire Division One should have the first crack at keeping the shirt.

The director of rugby at Rose Cottage said: “We haven’t played many matches outside of the league but it has been a long, hard season, and my view is that the lads who have got us up should have the first chance.

“We don’t pay anybody at Keighley but we are happy for players to join us, although they will have to fight for their position.”

Looking ahead to season 2012-13 after their 18-16 victory at Alnwick in the Northern Division play-off, Sheffield added: “We don’t know about Marco Ferrazzano (fractured cheekbone), and his fellow centre Danny Price has really enjoyed himself but he is getting on a bit.

“He is the first player for a while to have joined us from the same level (Castleford) and he has enjoyed himself. Also Adam Horsfall has applied to join the Army but we don’t foresee any big changes in our squad.

“Dave Pullen runs a rugby team at Bradford Grammar School and isn’t available every weekend but we are happy to continue with him next season on that basis.”

Sheffield added: “We have had a meeting this week to discuss the season just finished and next season, and one thing we want to crack is that we are notoriously slow starters – it is going to be difficult but we tried something different last season and that didn’t work.

“We lost 47-5 against Skipton in the Yorkshire Shield last August but since then we have gone upwards and they have gone in the opposite direction.”

Keighley should have held their awards night on April 28 but that was postponed because of their play-off match and has been re-arranged for Saturday, June 2.

Sheffield added: “We started training in mid-June last year and I don’t see that being any different, and we are expecting our first league match in North One East to be September 1.

“We expect the fixtures to be out at the end of May or early June.”

* The 14 teams in SSE North One East have been confirmed as: Cleckheaton, Northern, Morpeth, Middlesbrough, Malton & Norton, Wheatley Hills, Sheffield, Durham City, Old Crossleyans, Pocklington (Yorkshire Division One champions), Keighley (Durham & Northumberland and Yorkshire Division One play-off winners), Darlington (Durham & Northumberland Division One champions), Beverley (relegated from National League Three North), Morley (relegated from National League Three North).